1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer driver for setting items such as printing conditions for a stencil printing machine connected to a host computer, and particularly relates to a printer driver capable of allowing a stencil printing machine to automatically carry out the secret operation of when selecting watermark print in item setting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because of the structure of a stencil printing machine for printing using a stencil sheet, when the machine prints once, the stencil sheet on a print drum is left until the next printing starts.
As a device for preventing the leak of the secret of this used stencil sheet, there is proposed a device for disposing of a used stencil sheet if a user selects a predetermined button provided on a stencil printing machine, after printing is finished.
There is also proposed a device constituted such that if a user selects a predetermined button provided on a stencil printing machine after printing is finished, a printing operation is not carried out unless the next original is set.
Further, there is proposed a configuration in which the stencil printing machine is connected to a remote host computer through communications. In this case, the host computer sets secret operation items and executes printing so as to keep the secret of the stencil sheet. To be specific, the secret operation items are set on a printer driver provided in the host computer.
FIG. 1 shows a printer driver setting screen.
As shown in FIG. 1, some printer drivers are capable of selecting setting items for watermark print to print a secret document and the like.
With this structure, if a user operates and uses the stencil printing machine nearby, the user can select a secret button after printing is finished and promptly move to a secret operation.
However, if the remote host computer executes printing having secret and a secret operation setting is not made by the printer driver of the host computer, then a used stencil sheet is left attached to a print drum and the secret of the stencil sheet cannot disadvantageously kept. In such a case, a person who executes printing (or host computer user) has to go to the stencil printing machine and operate a secret button provided on the machine to execute the secret operation so as to keep the secret after printing.
During this, a time period in which the user who printed is absent occurs at a stencil printing machine side. Due to this, there is fear that a document or the like written (set up) on the stencil sheet used for printing cannot be kept secret to thereby disadvantageously cause damage.